Hieam flint henry



UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM FLINT HERY, OF GOWANDA, NEV YORK.

Fv-OLDING'STOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,379, dated May 3,1887. Application filed November 26, 1886. Serial No. 213,996. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HIRAM FLINT HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gowanda, in-the county of Oattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Stools, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention is a folding stool or seat which can be folded into the space occupied by the thickest member or part of said stool or seat; and the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations of parts forming a fiat stool, as will be described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of my stool open, ready for use. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the stool closed. Fig. 3

is a cross-section of the stool on line .r vof Fig.

2,and Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the upper side of the stool when closed.

In the construction shown the outside legs, A, are pivoted at a to the inside legs, B, and these legsB are made of less thickness than the outsidelegs, and Inay b'e folded entirely within said outside legs, as shown in Fig. 2. lThe difference in thickness between the inside and outsidelegs is clearly shownin Fi gs. l, 3, and 4.

Atone end the top C is pivoted at c to and between the upper ends of the outside legs, and the opposite end of the seat is provided on its under side with a rib, D, forming a stop for engagement by the top cross-bar, E, ofthe inside legs. By preference, the pivots a and c are arranged off the center, as shown.

It will be noticed that when the stool is folded to the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 the top or seat C folds down against theinside legs and between the outside legs. It will also be noticed, particularly from Fig. 3, that the combined thickness of the side4 edges of the top and of the inside legs does not exceed the thickness of the outside legs. I say does not exceed the thickness of the outside legs,7 for the reason that if the said side edges and inside legs were made of a combined thickness less than that of the outside legs there would be no departure from my invention, the purpose of which is to so connect and form the insidey legs and top that they will fold entirely within the space occupied by the outside legs, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It is, however, preferred to so form the top that its upper surface in the folded position of the parts will rest flush with the upper surface of the outside legs.

A bail, F, is attached at its ends to the ends ofthe top or seat, and extends below the same and under the cross-bar E of the front legs, serving as a safety means to hold said legs in position with reference to the top. This bail may be a strip of textile material, as shown, or may be of metal or other suitable material. By preference,a cord, G, which Inay be a piece of twine, as shown, a chain, or other suitable construction, is passed at l through a guide in the front of the top or seat, and thence back to they insidelegs,to which it is attached, usually, through the medium of the cross-bar E, as shown. In operation this string is convenient for opening the stool when the latter is folded or closed, as by drawing on the string the top C is first raised andthe inside legs next drawn to the position shown in Fig. I, such opening of the stool to position for use being effected by simply raisingsaid stool by the string when such stool is folded into position shown in Fig. I.

In forming the top or seat, by preference, its edges are of a reduced thickness, this being effected by forming rabbets at 2 in the top at its sides. 'I his may be preferred for the reason that it permits the seat to be formed of stronger wood or other suitable inflexible material,and for -the further reason that the rabbets form guides for the upper ends of the inner legs,

which slide therein in the adjustments of the stool and rest therein inthe open position of the stool, thereby strengthening the said stool and giving it rigidity laterally, as will be readily seen.

By the described construction I provide a stool with an inflexible top, which can be folded into the smallest space possible. By inflexible top I mean a top inflexible as distinguished from canvas or carpet top stools and others of such class, and the top maybe iron, wood, cane, rattan, rush, or other material, and may, if desired, be upholstered to suit.

The stool is especially intended for use in places where chairs, folding or otherwise, cannotbe conveniently used and where it is desired to put away a large number of seats in a small ICO xoV

space, this being eft'ectually accomplished by the use of my stool, constructed substantially as before described.

Manifestly my stool may be provided with a back, and it is also manifest that applying my invent-ion to a seat having a back, which might be termed a chairwould be no departure from my invention. In applying a back to my stool I usually employ the construction indicated in dotted lines, Fig. il, the arms H of the back being shown as pivoted at 71. to the outside legs aud turning up to position for service as a back, being stopped by engagement with stop-studs I. When this back is provided, it, in folding the stool, turns down over the outside legs, the only addition to the space occupied by the seat by reason ofthe said back being the width of the arms of the back' lapping outside of the outside legs and the thickness of the usual cross-bar of the back resting on the outside legs.

A special advantage resulting from forming the side edges of the top and the inside legs of I a combined thickness not exceeding the thickness of the outside legs is, that by reason of such construction the top may be made as wide as the space between the outside legs, as shown.

I do not claim to be the first inventor of, broadly,a chair all the parts of which are capable of being folded so that the thickness thereof will not exceed the thickness of the outside legs; but in the oh airs of such class which have come under my notice the tops or seats are pivoted to theinsidelegs and fold between such inside legs, and consequently cannot be of a width in excess ofthe space between said inside legs. In my chair, however, the seat or top is formed throughout of a width equal that of the space between the outside legs, and it will be seen that by my invention I am able to provide a much wider seat with a given size of frame than is possible with the construction above referred to. A

Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A stool consisting of outside legs, inside legs pivoted to and made of less thickness than the outside legs, and the top pivoted to the outside legs and having rabbets 2, whereby its side edges are reduced in thickness, the combined thickness of said side edges and the inside legs not exceeding the thickness ot' the outside legs, substantially as set forth.

2. A stool or seat consisting of the outside legs, the inside legs pivoted to the outside legs and made of less thickness than the said outside legs, and the top, the thickness of the side edges of the said top and of the inside legs combined not exceeding the thickness of the outside legs, whereby the stool will fold within the space occupied by said outside legs,- substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the outside' legs, thc

inside legs pivoted to and adapted to lold within the outside legs, the top pivoted to the outside legs and adapted to fold down onto the inside legs, and an operating-cord connected with the upper ends of the inside legs, and extended thence forward through a guide at the front of the top, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

HIRAM FLINT HENRY. Witnesses:

THOMAS ENGLisir, NV. B. ORKE. 

